Joe.My.God. LGBT News
South Africa’s News24 reports:
The Department of Home Affairs has expressed support for the online petition meant to stop American anti-gay pastor Steven Anderson from coming to South Africa. However the department says it may not have the power to deny him the visa.
The petition‚ which had already gained over 2000 signatures by yesterday morning and has since grown to 5000‚ is meant to lobby Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba to deny Anderson entry on the grounds that he may be coming to SA to “promote hate speech”.
“We fully support the online petition. We will take it to the Human Rights Commission,” Home Affairs spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete told City Press. However, he said that it may prove difficult to stop the pastor from coming to SA because the comments he allegedly made were not stated on South African soil.
And from earlier today:
The Hate Crimes Working Group (HCWG) on Monday added its name to a list of people who are opposed to US pastor Steven Anderson’s visit to South Africa, and called for his visa to be rejected.
“We condemn Anderson’s antisemitic, homophobic, and hateful views, and call on the South African authorities to decline his visa to visit our shores where he will continue to spread deeply prejudiced vitriol,” the HCWG said in a statement.
Pastor Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church made headlines last month when he posted a video after the nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, where gay people were targeted and 49 were killed.
After the shooting Anderson said: “The good news is that there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world.” HCWG said South Africa was continuing to grapple with issue of identity and tolerance. “Allowing Anderson to conduct his activities in South Africa will only serve to perpetuate ignorance and create further division in our society.”
Last week Anderson flipped out when all three of his planned venues in Johannesburg announced that he was not welcome on their premises. South Africa has a constitutional ban on anti-LGBT hate speech under the Promotion Of Equality & Prevention Of Unfair Discrimination Act, which went into law in 2000.